National Forest Transportation System
Congressional declaration of policy; time for development; method of financing; financing of forest development roads
Construction of temporary roadways in connection with timber contracts, and other permits or leases
Standards of roadway construction
Source
(Pub. L. 93–378, § 10, formerly § 9,Notes
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
County Payment Mitigation; Transportation System Moratorium
This section provides compensation for loss of revenues that would have been provided to counties if no road moratorium, as described in subsection (a)(2), were implemented or no substitute sales offered as described in subsection (b)(1). This section does not endorse or prohibit the road building moratorium nor does it affect the applicability of existing law to any moratorium.
The Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, in his sole discretion, may offer any timber sales that were scheduled
Any sales offered pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall—
comply with all applicable laws and regulations and be consistent with applicable land and resource management plans, except any regulations or plan amendments which establish or implement the moratorium referred to in subsection (a)(2); and
be subject to administrative appeals pursuant to part 215 of title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations and to judicial review.
For any previously scheduled sales that are not offered pursuant to subsection (a)(2), the Chief may, to the extent practicable, offer substitute sales within the same State in fiscal year 1998 or fiscal year 1999. Such substitute sales shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (a)(3).
The Chief shall pay as soon as practicable after fiscal year 1998 and fiscal year 1999 to any State in which sales previously scheduled to be offered that are referred to in, but not offered pursuant to, subsection (a)(2) would have occurred, 25 percent of any anticipated receipts from such sales that—
were scheduled from fiscal year 1998 or fiscal year 1999 sales in the absence of any moratorium referred to in subsection (a)(2); and
are not offset by revenues received in such fiscal years from substitute projects authorized pursuant to subsection (b)(1).
After reporting the amount of funds required to make any payments required by subsection (b)(2)(A), and the source from which such funds are to be derived, to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Chief shall make any payments required by subsection (b)(2)(A) from any funds available to the Forest Service in fiscal year 1998 or fiscal year 1999, subject to approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, that are not specifically earmarked for another purpose by the applicable appropriation Act or a committee or conference report thereon.
Any State which receives payments required by subsection (b)(2)(A) shall expend such funds only in the manner, and for the purposes, prescribed in section 500 of title 16, United States Code.
During the term of the moratorium referred to in subsection (a)(2), the Chief shall prepare and submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on each of the following—
a study of whether standards and guidelines in existing land and resource management plans compel or encourage entry into roadless areas within the National Forest System for the purpose of constructing roads or undertaking any other ground-disturbing activities;
an inventory of all roads within the National Forest System and the uses which they serve, in a format that will inform and facilitate the development of a long-term Forest Service transportation policy; and
a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the economic and social effects of the moratorium referred to in subsection (a)(2) on county, State, and regional levels.”